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Television Production & Broadcast Journalism
lighting director: The
person who decides
the placement of
lighting instruments, the
appropriate color of light
to use, and which lamps
should be used in the
instruments.
gaffer: The lighting
director’s assistant
who often does the
actual hauling of heavy
instruments up and
down ladders.
scriptwriter: The
person responsible
for placing the entire
production on paper.
Lighting Director
The lighting director decides the placement of lighting instruments,
the appropriate color of light to use, and which lamps should be used in
the instruments. In a television studio, as on the stage in a high school
auditorium, there are an amazing number of lights hanging overhead from
pipes on the ceiling. The lights are purposefully aimed in various direc-
tions with varying degrees of brightness and color. Determining the place-
ment of the lighting instruments is the lighting director ’s job. The lighting
director ’s assistant, a gaffer, often does the actual hauling of heavy instru-
ments up and down ladders, Figure 2-8.
Scriptwriter
The scriptwriter is responsible for placing the entire production on paper.
The script must meet the objectives of the producer and the message to the
viewer must be clear. However, the scriptwriter is not often an acknowledged
expert in the program’s subject matter. Because of this, a content specialist is
Figure 2-8. The lighting
designer tells the gaffer
(on ladder) where to aim
the lighting instruments.